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Brewers leftfielder Ryan Braun is serving a 65-game suspension after admitting to use of… more

Milwaukee Brewers executives are endeavoring to minimize collateral damage to the team’s business from Ryan Braun’s bombshell drug-related suspension — and most experts believe the Brewers will avoid a major hit to revenue.

In the wake of the Braun news, the Brewers issued a statement that front office representatives had reached out to key corporate partners and suiteholders “to gain insight into their thoughts.”

Brewers leftfielder Ryan Braun is serving a 65-game suspension after admitting to use of… more

“We have connected with a good number of our partners and suiteholders, and the feedback has been highly supportive and understanding,” said chief operating officer Rick Schlesinger. “Our partners understand that the brand is much bigger than any single issue or player.”

Sports business experts believe that, despite Braun’s previous popularity with fans, most people who attend games are there for the overall experience of the Brewers and Miller Park rather than one star player.

No doubt Braun was the team’s most popular player and the only former Most Valuable Player on the roster. But he missed numerous games this season with injuries and an unexplained “bereavement leave” so fans already were aware he might not appear in any given game, said Robert Leib, owner of Leib Advisors, a Mequon sports and entertainment consultancy.

“Braun was the crown jewel,” Leib said. “But I don’t think somebody is going to question driving from Stevens Point to a game because Braun’s not playing or involved in a juicing scandal. They’re going to go for a game-day experience.”

Brewers attendance this season already is trailing 2012 attendance by 3,559 per game. Attendance in 2012 of 2.83 million was less than the record attendance of 3.1 million during the team’s 2011 National League Championship Series run.

The reason for this year’s declining attendance is the Brewers poor on-field performance with the second-worst record in the National League, observers said.

“Team performance drives ticket sales more than one event like this,” said Jon Greenberg, a former Brewers public relations executive who is now president of the Milwaukee Admirals. “You can’t blame the Brewers for what is happening with Ryan Braun at the moment. You can blame Ryan Braun.”

Because Brewers merchandise featuring Braun’s name was a top seller, the team also will sustain short-term losses in retail sales, Greenberg said. However, he and others predict that fans will start buying merchandise with the names of emerging stars like Carlos Gomez, Jean Segura and Jonathan Lucroy.

RADIO, TV RATINGS IMPACT

Another question is whether fewer fans will tune into Brewers games on the radio or television because Braun is gone. Like attendance figures, those numbers typically track the team’s win-loss record with higher ratings in playoff seasons.

Executives with the Brewers radio network and Fox Sports Wisconsin said they believe Braun’s suspension will have little or no impact on ratings.

“The Brewers are a proud organization with a passionate fan base and that will remain unchanged,” said Mike Dimond, senior vice president and general manager of FOX Sports Wisconsin.

While Braun is being pilloried by media, players and fans nationwide, it is possible Brewers fans could respond similarly to San Francisco Giants fans who supported Barry Bonds despite his drug and perjury scandals, Leib said.

“San Francisco fans still loved Barry Bonds,” Leib said. “They just wanted to see him keep hitting home runs.”

The Brewers front office certainly hopes fans still feel the love beyond the current tumult.

“No single incident, problem, or player defines the Brewers, and this is a challenge that we will overcome,” Schlesinger said.